7. Stretch tension rods across unused gaps The slim spaces between shelving units, and even the bays between wall studs, hold more than they appear to. Spring a sturdy tension rod into each gap, add S-shaped shower hooks, and hang whatever needs a home, from paint rags and cleaning cloths to lightweight gardening tools. There are no brackets to drill and no holes to patch later, and every item comes up off the ground. 8. Roll an old dresser into service as a tool chest A dresser with rows of small, shallow drawers converts into a tool chest sized to your collection; a vanity style, or one built with jewelry drawers, works far better than a chest with deep drawers that swallow everything. Remove the drawers and measure each interior, then fit dividers cut from quarter-inch plywood or premade dividers matched to those dimensions. Cap the top with a butcher block counter or a piece of plywood cut to size, and you gain a work surface along with the storage. Rolling casters underneath and a hand pull on each side finish the piece, so the whole chest travels to wherever the project is happening. Set aside the next dry weekend and start with the wall farthest from the door. Work inward, one project at a time, until an empty rectangle opens up in the middle of the floor. By the end of the month, the car parks inside again and mornings start without a detour through the driveway.
6. Turn a bifold door into a gardening station Gardening comes with a long supply list, and a repurposed bifold door can hold most of it on one vertical panel. Choose a combination of knobs and hooks in a finish you like, then lay them out on the door until the arrangement suits your tools and supplies. Mount each piece in its designated spot, and fasten the finished door to the garage wall studs. Everything hangs in plain view, and the floor beneath stays open for the car.
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